Review: Batwoman #6

Last
issue, we were well into Kate Kane’s past, before she became Batwoman. Now
we’ve jumped ahead a generation, to an alternate future in which Batman rules
Gotham through fear, with an army of Batmen watching over the city like
stormtroopers. Kate, with the assistance of Jason Todd, manages to infiltrate
the city in an effort to contact René Montoya, the current police commissioner
and her former lover.

I
find the time jump unfair to potential new readers, especially so early in the
title’s run. How can DC expect to build an audience if they allow other stories
to hijack the book for an issue? It’s not as if Batwoman is a long-standing
character with broad appeal.

It’s
a fascinating set-up, but sadly, the pay-off is expected in a completely
different title (Detective Comics #969),
which means subsequent issues of Batwoman
will probably not revisit this particular future. Unfortunate. I can appreciate
dystopian predictions. They make the current real world rather rosy by
comparison.

Renato
Arlem’s artwork is serviceable, though not dynamic. That can be said by many
comic book artists whose body of work is often under-appreciated. But they earn
their bones by maintaining a consistent level of quality, and often being the
go-to guy in times of need. But I’ll be the first to admit my assessment may be
unfair, not being familiar with Arlem’s work until now.